1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and apparatus for enclosing a flat bed trailer or vehicle with removable sidewall panels and a bow-supported tarpaulin cover, and also relates to a flatbed truck trailer incorporating the cover system. More particularly, the present invention relates to such a removable cover system, and various components of the system, which provides improved convenience, safety, weather-resistance, fuel and storage efficiency, aesthetic appeal, as well as additional advantages, in comparison to other known tarpaulin cover systems which may be used for covering flatbed trailer surfaces and the like.
2. Description of the Background Art
Removable cover systems for flatbed trailers and the like, including stake-supported panels extending longitudinally along sides of the trailer and a bow-supported tarp cover secured over the trailer and the upper portions of the panels are well known. These systems are typically referred to as tarp-and-rack systems or side kits. Versions of the conventional systems have been commercially available for many years and are relatively popular in North America.
The conventional systems generally include removable panels, panel-supporting stakes, stake-supporting pockets provided in spaced fashion along the lateral sides of a flatbed trailer and which removably receive/retain lower ends of the stakes, tarp-supporting bows, each having lower ends detachably supported by a pair of the stakes on opposite sides of the trailer, a tarp cover which may be selectively draped over and supported by the bows, and elastic straps which secure the lower edges of the tarp cover to the trailer. In use of the conventional systems the tarp cover may be selectively removed or folded, one or more of the bows removed, one or more of the stakes removed, and one or more of the panels removed over to expose portions of the covered flatbed surface so that cargo may be selectively loaded onto or removed from the exposed portions of the covered surface.
FIG. 21 herein depicts a lateral side portion of a flatbed trailer 1 having conventional stake-retaining pockets 2 fixed/welded to a steel or other metal member 8 extending along a lateral side surface of the trailer's bed, and a flat elongate bumper bar or rail 3 fixed to the outside surfaces of the pockets. FIG. 22 herein depicts a conventional stake 4 which secures a vertical side edge of a panel 5 inserted in a receiving recess 6 of the stake, where the stake is suspended above a receptacle socket 7 of a conventional pocket 2. In the conventional system depicted in FIG. 22, the panel 5 is rested on and is supported by an upper side edge portion of the bed of the trailer 1 or on the member 8, while the stake 4 is supported in the pocket 2 such that an inwardly-facing side of the stake includes a pair of slots 6 which receive and retain vertically-extending edges of a pair of the panels 5, and a main body portion of the stake 4 extends outwardly beyond the side edge of the trailer 1, and outboard of the panel 5.
The conventional systems are mostly effective for their intended purpose, which is reflected by the fact that the conventional system has not changed significantly over the years and remains popular in the trucking industry. Over the years, some efforts have been made to address a number of disadvantages associated with the conventional systems, including those discussed below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,794,375 to Woodward (the '375 patent) discloses a flatbed enclosure system having stakes, panels and a tarp cover, but wherein the panel edge receiving recesses of the stakes are notched in a vertically spaced manner and the edges of the panels having associated recesses defined therealong as shown in FIG. 10 of the '375 patent. With such structure, the stake does not have to be completely removed in order to release the panels, and this is desirable because the stakes are typically around four feet long, and are usually removed by sliding their entire length vertically above the panels. Due to the notched structure, a panel may be raised only a few inches until the recesses in its side edges are aligned away from the stake notches, at which point the panel may be removed with the stake still retained on the trailer.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,811,724 to Woodward (the '724 patent) discloses a flatbed enclosure system having two-section stakes, wherein an inner section may be separated from an outer section via vertical sliding movement to facilitate removal of the panels, which have vertical side edges retained in recesses defined between the two sections of the stakes. However, an individual must typically be standing inside the trailer to manipulate the two-section stakes, e.g., while standing in the trailer the individual may lift and remove the smaller inner section of the stake, while the larger outer section of the stake remains in the supporting pocket.
Also, this patent discloses special cargo-securing brackets (see FIGS. 6-7 of the '724 patent) having first ends fixed to sides of the flatbed, and which extend inwardly of the cargo space between the upper surface of the flatbed and the lower edges of the panels such that the second ends of the brackets may have cargo-securing straps or chains connected thereto. These brackets avoid the conventional necessity of extending the cargo-securing straps and chains between the flatbed and lower edges of the panels, and thus also avoid the conventional gaps created by same.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,601 to Tuerk discloses a stake arrangement for these types of systems in which the stakes are generally triangular in cross sectional shape rather than rectangular, while a lower portion of the stake, as received by the retaining pockets on the trailer, is provided with a jacket which strengthens and enlarges the stake at the lower portion, and is tapered or the like to provide a relatively tight fit between the outer surface of the jacket and the inner surface of a retaining pocket.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,320,396 to Petelka discloses a flatbed enclosure system having a stake construction in which an outer surface of the stake is rounded off, to improve the aerodynamics of the trailer when the enclosure system is installed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,275 to Glassmeyer et al. discloses a cap that attaches to the upper end of stakes used in a flatbed enclosure system. The cap prevents water and debris from entering the inner cavity of the stake. Additionally, the stake cap also provides a receiving hole for the end of a tarp support bow.
The known tarp-and-rack systems provide several beneficial features, including that they are partially or fully removable, thereby permitting a user to uncover only selected portions of the trailer for loading and unloading cargo, and because the systems are relatively inexpensive in comparison, for example, to permanent trailer cover systems such as the aluminum shells used to cover many trailers.
However, the known systems still have disadvantages associated therewith. For example, it is labor-intensive to install or remove such a system, e.g., edges of the tarp cover are secured with numerous elastic cords or the like to the flatbed trailer, the stakes and panels must be individually, manually installed and removed, and the person operator doing the installation and removal must typically be standing on the trailer, which is highly inconvenient (especially if cargo is loaded on the trailer), and also potentially dangerous.
Further, the stakes extend outwardly of the panels, such that the system does not have a smooth continuous outer surface and is not particularly aerodynamic. Often there is a loose fit between the stakes and retaining pockets for same provided at the sides of the trailer, such that the stakes and the panels rattle and move when the vehicle is traveling.
Still further, lower edges of the panels are typically supported on upper, outermost surfaces of the flatbed. This not only reduces cargo space on the trailer, but due to curvature of the flatbed in the longitudinal direction, gaps are formed between the panels and the trailer surface, permitting water, dirt and other matter to enter the enclosed space within the cover system, which is undesirable for many reasons. Further, if the cargo must be secured to the trailer, as is often the case, securing straps and chains must typically pass between the panels and the flatbed surface creating additional gaps as discussed above. Also, the conventional systems do not have a particularly aesthetic appearance.
Although some of the disadvantages of some older conventional systems have been addressed, as discussed above, a need still exists in the art for an improved flatbed cover system which more completely addresses all of the disadvantages attendant the conventional systems. In particular, there is a need for such an improved system that may be readily, conveniently and safely installed or removed by an individual standing at ground level adjacent a flatbed trailer, has significantly improved aerodynamic, water- and weather-tight, has aesthetic characteristics, has a reduced number of parts, and is otherwise functionally, structurally and aesthetically superior to the conventional trailer cover systems.